Seneca said that when the Sun eclipses to disappear, its greatness is better appreciated. Two millennia later, millions of people were able to experience yesterday what the Hispanic-Roman philosopher felt when witnessing an astronomical phenomenon that, amidst centuries of technological advances, still leaves us speechless. The total solar eclipse that darkened the day at sunset overwhelmed half of Spain.
Many places in northern Spain were ideal to enjoy the eclipse in all its splendor, from Galicia to the Balearic Islands. It was seen in provincial capitals, but it was the landscapes of villages in the depopulated Spain like those in the province of Guadalajara, with their threshing floors, hermitages, and fields, that became the perfect stage to contemplate it.
The town of Yebes, with about 5,600 inhabitants and located 80 kilometers from Madrid, was chosen by the Government to officially monitor the first eclipse seen on the Peninsula since 1912. At an altitude of 930 meters lies the Astronomical Observatory of Yebes, the largest in the network of the National Geographic Institute (IGN). The impressive 40-meter radio telescope, "the crown jewel of the observatory", in the words of its director, Pablo de Vicente, presided over the site where a stage and tents were set up to celebrate the highly anticipated eclipse. An event whose significance was compared by the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Universities, Juan Cruz Cigudosa, to "a World Cup of astronomy" in which Spain plays and wins the Final.
It was a very hot day, with the thermometer marking 36 infernal degrees that peacefully dropped when the magical hour of the eclipse arrived. But before that, there were many hours of anticipation.
Access to the observatory from the town of Yebes was cut off for security reasons, and it was only possible to reach it by shuttle buses that transported authorities, journalists, workers, and guests throughout the day. Paella was served, and during the after-dinner, the Minister of Science and Innovation, Diana Morant, arrived, followed later by the Minister of Territorial Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, and well into the evening, the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and the Minister of Digital Transformation, Oscar López.
"Today science will prevail," Morant assured. "We are going to experience the eclipse with many boys and girls on whom the future of our country and humanity depends. They are the ones who will end up landing on Mars and discovering cancer vaccines, so let's take this opportunity to awaken scientific vocations, especially in girls, as we still have a very significant gender gap," she emphasized.
There is an estimate that says only one person out of every 10,000 will see a total solar eclipse in their lifetime, but among the attendees at the Yebes event, many of them astronomers or professionals in the space sector, the percentage of guests who had witnessed one or more total solar eclipses was much higher than average. With their descriptions of what we would see at sunset, we were eager for the hour to arrive. And also for the anticipated sharp drop in temperatures on this scorching day in August. Would it be as dramatic as expected?
It was the first time for our two astronauts, Sara García and Pablo Álvarez, who were very excited to witness this event. "It's a unique opportunity. Enjoying a phenomenon like this that nature gives us, probably with our loved ones and friends, is a privilege," said Sara García, who recommended forgetting about the phone to experience this spectacle with all senses.
"I think one of the things that this solar eclipse will bring us is perspective. It's a feeling very similar to what my colleagues who have flown to space tell me when they are able to see the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun from the outside. It's a feeling of fragility and a better understanding of our place in the cosmos," reflected Pablo Álvarez, who interrupted his vacation to participate in several events about the eclipse.
An hour before totality, the spectators in Yebes went up to the observatory terraces to witness the start of the partial eclipse at exactly 7:36 p.m. Although there was some haze in the sky, the forecast indicated that we would have a good observation. There was no trace of clouds.
Some of the attendees dressed in red, green, and blue were able to observe the Purkinje effect: during the 10 minutes before totality, the sudden drop in light changed our perception of colors. The blues and greens shone, and the reds became slightly darker, although less than expected. It was as if someone had lowered the intensity of the light. An almost unreal atmosphere blurred the day, and at 8:31 p.m., the day darkened. The silence was interrupted by screams, then returned to silence, and then everyone applauded. In our area, they say that the totality lasted 61 seconds, but for many of us, it seemed like less time. "Impressive," "It was a total madness," were some of the repeated phrases. The Secretary General of Innovation, Teresa Riesgo, teared up.
After that magical minute, the day lit up again, and at 9:15 p.m., the eclipse ended, and a party began that would be accompanied by The Perseids, as the eclipse coincided with the day of maximum activity of the meteor shower.
Meanwhile, thousands of residents gathered in nearby towns, which between Tuesday and Wednesday welcomed an unusual number of visitors. Such is the case of Horche, a town of 3,000 inhabitants that besides being one of the places where the eclipse was seen at 100%, is only six kilometers from Yebes.
Although the La Cañada Hotel had its 50 rooms booked for these two days weeks ago, they continued to receive calls to try to make a reservation: "Normally at this time of year, we would have half of the rooms occupied, as we also accommodate workers from the area," says Ramón Moya, the hotel manager, who admits that he did not know there would be an eclipse until last February when the Civil Guard inquired about the reservations he was receiving. "Now it's a mess, and it seems like the world is ending tomorrow [yesterday]," he says laughing.
On Wednesday morning, the Horche City Council distributed sunglasses to its residents -two per family- so they could follow the eclipse. The night before, this was the topic of conversation among the residents who enjoyed the evening in the town's streets and bar terraces. At the El Bodegón restaurant, we chatted with four friends aged between 18 and 37 with different views on the eclipse. While María, Ángela, and Ander were sure they would watch it but were undecided whether to stay in Horche or go to Yebes, Adrián admitted he didn't really mind.
With the start of the so-called "trio of eclipses," the severe drought of total solar eclipses that we have endured for more than a century has come to an end. We can say that the eclipse on August 12 was historic, but we cannot call it the eclipse of the century, since on August 2, 2027, Spain will once again be the perfect location to view another total solar eclipse—one that will be even longer (almost five minutes) and will occur in the morning, around 10:50 a.m., making it easier to observe. It will be visible in all its splendor in another geographical area—in the south of the Iberian Peninsula and in the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. And on January 26, 2028, we will have an annular eclipse.
That is why Rafael Bachiller, the astronomer who heads the National Astronomy Commission—established in 2023 to manage the trio of eclipses—is pleased with the success of today's event, but aware that two more events still lie ahead.
"It has been intense work, but very rewarding. We have promoted educational and outreach initiatives, observation and citizen science campaigns, recommendations for safe observation, and numerous activities in coordination with observatories, universities, astronomical associations, and so on. We have also advised government agencies, always with the goal of ensuring that these three eclipses leave behind much more than just the memory of a memorable observation," summarizes the director of the National Astronomical Observatory (IGN): "We would like them to inspire greater interest in astronomy, more scientific vocations, a boost to astro-tourism, and greater awareness of the importance of preserving our dark skies."